Tampa Bay Online reports that Polk County Sheriff’s deputies arrested 30-year-old Michael Ray Ekes, suspect in the theft of an SUV, at his home while he was playing Grand Theft Auto III. Sigh.

Ekes now faces a laundry list of charges including burglary of a conveyance, possession of methamphetamine and, of course, grand theft auto. A Dodge Durango that had been reported stolen from a Polk County Walmart’s parking lot was in Ekes’ front driveway. The steering column was broken and the ignition switch was missing. Inside the vehicle police found a ski mask, pliers and screwdrivers. We are dealing with a criminal mastermind here, folks. Tampa Bay Online quotes Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd on the arrest and he makes to sure bash video games in the process:“Crime is not a game,” Sheriff Grady Judd said. “Real-life crime has real-life consequences – and I hope he goes to prison for a good long while, where they don’t have ‘Grand Theft Auto’ video games.”

The punishments for the undercover officers caught Wii Bowling during a March 6, 2009, drug raid have been handed down. And they’re not so punishing.

The Lakeland Ledger reports that 11 members of the multiagency task force were found at fault.

Undercover detectives received a letter of retraining and are required to undergo two hours of retraining. The sergeants who supervised and didn’t stop detectives from virtual bowling got a letter of guidance and must undergo four hours of retraining.